Slate

Prototyping framework and power tool.

Putting designs in motion and delivering value.

Most of my work centers around the connected TV experience, which is a pretty niche area of design. My team and I tried almost every prototyping tool available but none of them met our requirements for flexibility around platform or remote control input.

Enter Slate. Slate is a framework I built in Node.js, JavaScript, HTML, and SASS that allows a design technologist to quickly develop a prototype that looks and feels just like the real thing. It even ingests JSON for seamless integration with actual data. Slate simulates Apple TV, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 and includes controller support to navigate the prototype just like you would on the platform. I've even extended the framework to produce native-feeling apps on Android and iOS.

This tool has completely changed the game for designers, developers, and clients. Designers can use this to conceptualize interaction patterns and see their designs in motion months in advance, while developers use it as a model to create experiences and offer feedback. Clients and executives love to get an early feel for their products, and often can't tell the difference between a Slate prototype and "the real thing."

The best part of having a Slate prototype is being able to perfrom user testing. Prototypes built in Slate are extremely resilient and have a rich enough feature set to stand up to the wear-and-tear of a user test. I work closely with design researchers to create prototypes that help teams work toward a user testing goal and deliver invaluable insights early and often.